Scripture

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. ~D&C 84:88

Monday, December 22, 2014

¡Feliz Navidad!

¡Feliz Navidad! 
 

So this Thursday (Christmas Day) we do not have a very set time... I will call between 1:30/2:00 to 4:00/5:00 Puerto Rico time. (10:30-2:00 Utah time) I will try to have the member we will be with to shoot you a text so you don't have to wait around. We have 45 minutes to skype! I cannot believe I will be on the big TV in the living room, haha!

Christmas Eve we will be eating dinner with a member who invited all the missionaries over. Christmas day we will do the usual studying and our weekly planning until 1:00 then we will go over to a member's home to skype and eat and whatnot. No one who had the technology to skype could have us over so we will be going with the other sisters to a family in their ward.
 

I have all of my Christmas packages! I started laughing so hard when I saw that you sent me a REAL tree. I still can't believe it. I might have opened the package and things from Lexie's package already... :D...
 
Last week was rough lesson wise and I needed something to pick me up! I might have peeked at Grandma and Rob's, but the rest of the presents are still wrapped and waiting for Christmas Day! I spread them out over the days and enjoyed looking up each scripture to guess what it was! I received the letters from the Bishopric and Stake Presidency but I have not yet received the letters from the Ward. Please tell them thank you and that I love them and Merry Christmas!
 

I saw Megan Cundick last night at the President's home! I was so excited, it was so awesome to see her and see baby Maggie! I also saw Ms. Boucher, Hannah's teacher! It was such a wonderful experience being there as a zone and to feel the Spirit.

In my studies this morning I was reading in the December Liahona. I believe the author was Pres. Uchtdorf in the main article this issue and he spoke about how Christ was the perfect example of humility and giving gifts. My testimony grew so much from reading about how we can become like Christ by sharing as He did compassion, love, patience, comfort, and more. I realized that we can never give such a gift of the Atonement and Eternal Life as He did but bringing and inviting others to partake of these gifts is something that we can give to Christ and to the people we meet.

Yesterday our ward didn't really have a Christmas program per se but they did have members come up and share what their favorite hymn is and why and then everyone sang 2 verses. I didn't really have all of the numbers or time to practice so I learned some new hymns yesterday during Sacrament Meeting!

It wasn't too bad, The Lord has blessed me in my sight reading. I realized as the meeting started that because our schedule is backwards that our Sacrament Meeting starts at 11:00 Puerto Rico time, which is 8:00 Utah time. So Mom, Dad, and Hannah- we were performing musical numbers all at the same time!! That thought made me happy:) I hope you guys aren't tooo excited for the things I sent! haha, they are all small and a bit silly but I hope you like them! (for mom- have you guys tried the candy yet??)

We met a really cool family this week- I will tell you more about them next week! I am trying to send photos right now but for some reason this computer is really laggy and so I might just send them all next week.

 
 
Thank you so much for the beautiful Christmas you sent me! The smell of pine is so wonderful! I cannot wait to talk and see everyone on Thursday! Enjoy your Christmas and know that the best present you can give is the love of Christ and the Gospel!

Take care my beautiful family! I realized last night that around this time next year I will be returning (we will have to postpone Christmas so I can spend it with you in January haha). I am so grateful for the opportunity to dedicate all of 2015 to the Lord. Everyone says that after 6 months (Jan. 30 for me) that the time flies even FASTER I can't believe that because it has already gone by so fast.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love

Hermana Hardy

Monday, December 15, 2014

BIG NEWS!

BIG NEWS!


We had a sudden transfer this past Saturday morning because they needed Hna. Gawrych as a STL. We found out Thursday night, while we were on exchanges, so Hna. Gawrych had the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone at the party on Friday. I am super sad to see my mom go, but at least I had her for 2 more weeks! I am a bit nervous to be handling this area and showing it to my new comp.

So now I have a new companion! Her name is Hna. Gomez and she is from the Dominican Republic! (I am sorry, I do not have a picture to send yet..) (I will fix the Christmas gifts to say Hna. Gomez)
She is super sweet, funny, and happy! My Spanish has improved already in the past two days. She has been out on her mission for 1 year and has absolutely no fear to talk to people. I really admire that about her. We get along really well and I am super excited to learn more about her and from her. I will tell you guys more next week!

Well we had a lesson yesterday and we ate dinner first then went into the living room to start with a prayer. We started out talking about her reading in the Book of Mormon, and the conversation turned to prayer. She says that we all pray so beautiful and she wants to learn how to pray like that but she feels like she doesn't know how. A thought came into my mind to share my first experience having my personal prayer at night in Spanish.


That experience is still hard for me to put it into words but I tried my very hardest to share with Heavenly Father everything I wanted to with my very limited vocabulary. I was feeling very upset because I felt like I couldn't express myself properly when I felt the Spirit comforting me, telling me that even though my words and grammar are simple and even incorrect Heavenly Father knew what I was feeling and trying to say.
 
I likened this to her saying that the language of prayer is just like learning spanish or english- we need to practice and it becomes easier with time but always Heavenly Father knows what it is our hearts and minds no matter if our sentences are eloquent and fluid or not. I hope that she takes the Spirit she felt into her heart. She says she will practice and out of her own accord she said, Ï'll pray the next time you come!' she was very excited! So I am happy!

Rain in Puerto Rico. WELL, it rained a couple times this week, one time it was while we were driving from exchanges, not in our area. Last night at 3:00am it started POURING and it woke me up but I was able to fall asleep to the sound (I love the sound of rain).

We have plans for Christmas Eve, a woman invited all eight of us over for dinner. We had tentative plans for Christmas day and that fell through. I asked almost everyone I know who has internet and a tablet or ipad and everyone said no because they're busy having family over and whatnot. So I am in a bit of a panic because as of right now there is no one who can have us over for Christmas Day to skype with our families.
 
There is one last person I know of that I am going to call but I am nervous that she will be in a different part of the island with her fiance and his family. So we will be praying for a miracle for next week because I do not really know what to do or who can have us over. I am trying not to feel anxious about it.

No baptism this week. We are still working on people. We have some neat potentials however! We are being a bit pressed to have one before the year ends so we are working hard!

Is Hannah performing Christmas Eve? I hope she feels better! You will be in my prayers!! I am excited for the Christmas packages:) Hopefully I will be able to email you next week in this library... If not, Merry Christmas! I would have to talk to President about notifying you for our call time. We will have to see.

I am curious to know what Jonny's secret oasis of Christmas presents is hahaha, I promise to not open his until Christmas!

Take care! Have fun with your performances Mom and Hannah! and good luck with Finals everyone! I love you all SO MUCH! It doesn't feel like Christmas at all haha because there is no snow and no one is here. I feel like it is still August:)

 
 
Hermana Hardy

Monday, December 8, 2014

All Back 110%

Hello Family!
 

Progress report on injuries: completely gone! Well, slightly discolored and tender but I am back 110%!

Stories about lessons and memorable experiences: Well, we had to recommit our lady who was going to be baptized to read the Book of Mormon and to pray because she doesn't have a testimony yet:( but We are back on track! We had a slightly paranoid lady tell me that I look like I would be a nun in another life (she has some pretty neat conspiracies... and thinks the neighbors have a vendetta against her and pay men to through stink bombs at her house)
 
At one point she said : "there! they did it again! can you smell that?!?!' (we couldn't smell anything...). Someone thought Hna. Gawrych was my mom. Our WML almost got my name right this week! He called me Hna. Gardy. The funny thing is is that the Elder Boren in our ward transferred and we have another Elder Boren that transferred in and the WML still can't remember his name. haha.

This Sunday I actually understood what was going in in Relief Society! (well, I usually understand other Sundays but this one more than others). Our lesson was on prayer and how it is a blessing and commandment. The Gospel Principles class (we had lots of people this week!) was about the Signs of the Second Coming. People on the street talk to us about those sometimes and get way into it and worked up and all I can really say to them is that if you are righteous, you don't really need to worry! Also, I suppose I can say that the signs about the Restoration and BoM have come to pass!

Testimony was amazing this week. We have a less active who is very old and can't come to church sometimes because she just physically can't but her testimony is so strong. She tries to come as often as she can and I was sitting next to her during the meeting and she decided to bear her testimony and we all had to help her get up there. Her testimony was amazing and the Spirit was so strong in that meeting. She is so sweet and firm in her faith.

They decorated the plaza with lights! Some people decorate their houses but not many. They have pasteles for Christmas, and lots of treats and dulces. There is one called Tembleke which is like a coconut pudding and it is my favorite! I have the recipe and I am going to make it. I also sent a package with some of the treats inside for everyone to try.

I received the package from Aunt Jenny and cousins and the letter from Family Beck! I am so happy to hear that Natalie is doing well and I cannot wait to read her emails home!

Good luck everyone with finals and with Christmas decorations! Keep your eyes out on the mail. I cannot believe that it is Christmas already because I feel I left home last week! I love and miss everyone but you all feel so close to me anyways.

Hannah can take my converse! Be careful that you don't hurt your ankle dancing in them! They can be tough to dance in sometimes. When is the Nutcracker for you?!?! Pinky Luck!

I loved the pictures from dad! did Jonny and Hannah run too??

I love you all take care!!
 

Love Hermana Hardy

Monday, December 1, 2014

On The Mend...

Hello everyone!


My injuries are healing so fast that is really is quite the miracle. I am so grateful for that and for everyone's prayers because Í know that Heavenly Father is looking out for me. I have a lot of new skin! that part is healed up even though it still looks a bit funny. I was hoping that I would have a wicked big bruise but it does not look as hard core as I wished haha:) My leg is still tender and I cannot run or stomp on cockroaches with it (I accidently tried--ouch!) and the rest of me is okay!

 
Jonny told me to tell a funny story and lots of funny things happen but I think my favorite one this week was during a really good lesson with a woman and her son (this 8 year old who is awesome and straight up said that he wanted to be baptized before we invited him. Then he ran around his apartment saying "baptize me baptize me baptize me" and we told him that we have to teach him more and he said, "what are you going to teach me next" He also loves the BoM and reads it a lot.).

But I digress... So I have a habit of smiling and nodding while everyone else speaks and this kid totally called me out on it. He said, "she nods A LOT' and then during the lesson he would start nodding furiously at me to make fun of me. Then later he started COUNTING all the times I nodded. So he was counting on his fingers and held out five fingers and said, "she's nodded 5 times!" (and I did not realized that he was talking about me) so I nodded my head at him again because I didn't know what he was talking about and then he said "six!!!!' and yeah. My companion was dying and had to explain that part to me after. heheheh. I will work on that.

Thanksgiving was fun!! We ended up spending 4 hours at a new inv. house. She is the one that invited us over after she heard about the accident. So for the first little bit they had me play hymns on their piano and they showed us pictures of everything (including missionaries they met with 13 yes 13 years ago).
 


The woman also took photos of me and Hna. Gawrych at the piano and posted them on FB with a "had the mormon missionaries over for Thanksgiving!' where a member saw them and was so excited haha. (The inv's name is María Castillo if you want to look her up and try to find the pictures mom)

Then we ate and it was rice (no beans this time) and it was basically the same normal dish they make with chicken and some potatoes that they cook in a pot with spices and whatnot and sauce except they used turkey haha. Then we had pumpkin spice flavored flan! strange! Then they insisted on taking all these pictures with us haha, so many pictures. THEN the woman's sister came over and we had an AMAZING lesson with her and her sister. The husband left and worked on other stuff but it was really neat to teach them.

Then a member (the woman who loves me so) picked us up for Thanksgiving at her house where there were 18 people total and rice with grandules, turkey, bread, more rice, and really tasty postre. Then we had what they call a "Paranda" where everyone has a musical instrument and sings together.
 
 
They gave me this strange instrument which is a hollowed out gourd (long) with lines cut into it and you scrape a giant fork thing against it. It is kinda like a washboard sounding thing but with a gourd and fork. horrible sounding thing but with the other instruments it sounds cool. It is surprisingly hard to play. The members think I am slightly rythmically challenged now but they laughed and helped me out. Hna. Gawrych has pictures but she forgot her cord. We were invited to another paranda this week so I will take more pictures then!!
 

We are still preparing people to be baptized and no one came to church yesterday, it was very sad, but we are trying to stay positive!

So transfers are tomorrow!! AND I am staying with Hna. Gawrych here in Cabo Rojo!! Wahoo! We are so happy to have Christmas together here!!

Happy Birthday to Alexis and Geoff! Your cards will be late, I am sorry. But I will send them this week! Have so much fun!

Everyone make sure that they go to
christmas.mormon.org and watch the video, it is so special and neat! Make sure you share it with EVERYONE!!!

Love Hermana Hardy

Monday, November 24, 2014

Mercies, Miracles & Gratitude

Hello Family!
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!! I love you so much! I hope you have a wonderful time and that your marathon goes well!

I am feeling much much better today. I am exhausted and a little bit bruised but to be honest I am not nearly as injured as I would have thought I would be for being hit by a car (which means that I have been blessed very, very much). We have been given permission to use the car if we really need to. For the most part we have had members drive us to appointments. We have had almost all member presents this weekend!

I have to admit something.... several weeks ago I DID say to my companion that I would rather be hit by a car than to be bitten by a dog... Sooooo I had it coming.

I would like to say that even after being hit by a car I would still rather deal with that than be bitten by a dog.

Thursday we kinda chilled out at the apartment for the day. We took our time doing weekly planning, wrote letters, cards to members for Thanksgiving, we cleaned the apartment (I kinda helped a little bit but not much) because Hna. Boucher came to let me call Mama and to do an apartment inspection.

Friday we visited people (member present and then with a less active and then English class). It was exhausting. Saturday we rested a bit more but still had 2 member presents (Hna Broyles went with Hna. Gawrych to the one in the early morning because I was not walking or moving very well that morning).

Sunday, of course I went to church! I received all sorts of attention by people who have never spoken to me before (usually they all talk to Hna. Gawrych) and I had no idea what was going on but I am pretty good at saying I got hit by a car in spanish now. We had a total of 4 lessons today and I am tired. The members are very sweet and they all thought that my leg is broken (some STILL think that it is broken because someone spread that rumor around). NADA ROTO! I'm really good at saying that too.

So for the accident part!
 

 
We were on the side of the road contacting a man in front of a chain link fence, he even said we could return and teach his family and Hermana Gawrych was writing our number and I was looking at the man thinking that I didn't do very bad at contacting him (very prideful of me so yeah).
 
 
When completely out of nowhere I am hit and I just remember looking at the ground and seeing grass as I rotate around towards my right shoulder and being hit again (I realized it was the side view mirror later) and then I was facing towards the road and I saw the mirror roll away into the grass and then I was down against the fence looking at my leg.
 
 
My left shoe flew off my foot. I never actually saw the car as far as I can remember, just grass. I knew what had happened though right away and I screamed a bit and a man that had been sitting on the porch with our contact ran out right away and he was holding my hand and a woman who saw it all happen was standing in front of me and they were helping my companion call 911 and it hurt. Then a huge group of teenage boys came running around and after a while they left as more people came.
 
 
(Please see pictures for reference and explanation for how I was hit)

All I knew is that there were lots of people around me shouting in Spanish and I only understood a little bit. However I did see a white car drive past and stop and I saw a woman get out and I thought it was a member but I wasn't sure as she got closer and then her face was in front of mine and it was Hna. Franqui!!
 
I cannot describe how relieved I was to see her and she was just saying that I was going to be okay and she would take care of everything. She speaks a lot of English too so that was very nice. There are no members in the area we were in (30 minutes away from town driving) and I know that Heavenly Father planned for her to be driving by at that exact time to take care of me.
 
[On the phone, Emily also told me one of the EMTs and one of the police were members of the Church as well. She was well ministered to and the Elders were knocking themselves out to give her blessings :) ]

Her daughter Alanis was there too (9 years old) and her husband just got back from the states and he helped my companion a lot too. So I rode in an ambulance for the first time, went to the ER. There were 13 people there for me not including my companion and me. Apparently more members had shown up where the accident was and I didn't see them there but they showed up at the hospital (Metropolitan hospital of Cabo Rojo or something for Jonny haha:)) and the elders came and brought me a blanket and East High sweatshirt (they have a lot of nerve haha) and socks because it was freezing and I was shaking and everything.
 
In the end, nothing is broken, I am just scraped up and bruised but the bruising isn't too bad at all and my leg is the worst of it and even that is healing up very quickly. Everyone in Puerto Rico knows and even random people in the U.S. that the members know and called (hahaha). The nurse showed up right before they wrapped my leg up after they took x-rays. I never hit my head! My neck is sore from whiplash so my headache is sometimes worse than my leg when we are out visiting for a long time but I am still smiling!

We don't really know anything about who it was and all the members are really upset about that but I am fine, the person must be freaked out of their mind! Hopefully they are okay.

Miracles! Lots and lots of them! I had so many people who just so happened to be driving by after it all happened and so many people were there at the hospital with me. Hno. Franqui just kept on saying to me ""Look! There are so many people here for you, you two are never alone" That was a wonderful comfort to me.
 
We have had strangers call us to ask us how we are doing and one woman invited us to Thanksgiving!! Awesome, right? We have had the members help us with just about everything. My favorite part was speaking to Mama on the phone and tell her that I am okay. The missionary work is moving forward despite and because of what has happened:)

So for Thanksgiving we have two appointments- one at 12:00 and the other at 5:00 (we were invited to more but we had to decline). There are lots of people willing to drive us to those appointments.

Well, I do not know that more to say! I know that Heavenly Father has protected me and that He has a purpose in everything. I am excited to see what else will happen as a result! The past few days have been ridiculous and crazy but I have never felt so loved. The people here are so kind (even if they are dramatic) and they have the biggest hearts. I am hoping to accomplish even more the next few weeks with their help.

I love you all SOOOO MUCH! Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to be grateful everyday because that is more important than being grateful once a year:)

Love Hermana Hardy

Monday, November 17, 2014

Invitation to Baptism

Hello Familia!
 
 
For your first question, the investigator we invited to be baptized last week didn't come to church and then didn't answer her phone so we couldn't visit her :(

 
BUT THEN! Our other investigator Gloria did accept the invitation to be baptized! For December 6th! Wahoo! She is so excited about it too. She told us that she wants a certificate to go along with it.
 
The funny and awkward part is though... Well when we invite people to be baptized we invite them, and then we say "We will be having a baptismal service on this day (date) will you prepare to be baptized this day?' Well, she said yes to the day and then asked who else was being baptized that day and assumed that there were a couple of other people....
 
 
So she kept on asking about that again on Sunday and we explained that there might not be other people prepared for that day and she said she didn't want to be baptized alone (she doesn't want people to go to trouble for her alone). Then we told her that lots of people are baptized alone and then she seemed much better about that!

It was just funny because she would say, "How many other people are being baptized??' and ahehehehehehe.... *you're the only one progressing... cough cough* :D
 

We wave to EVERYONE! People love us now, it feels like a parade. One night we actually did have people clap at us from inside their car... that was new! It is fun to see people's facial expressions when they see us.
 

So most of the time I eat an eggo or oatmeal or cereal with a banana every morning. Lunch varies, we eat a lot of salad and Tuesdays a woman brings us all food and we can usually make that last for 2-3+ days because she brings so much. Lots and lots of rice. Some beans. Meat (usually chicken). We very rarely cook and when we do it is usually noodles for me:) We bake cake a lot. And cookies, to share with people we visit. We eat at a member's house every Sunday for lunch, and at other people's houses during the week (maybe once or twice a week.)

The other day I tried tostones for the first time, tostones de pana to be exact. Just fried squished pieces of the pana fruit. Super starchy fruit, so it is like an extra thick potato chip. Around Christmas they have pasteles and I have tried them once and not the very tastiest thing I've had.

This week I ate the gizzard and liver of a chicken. Also, I had fried eggplant. I'd rather not talk about it, but it took us the longest time to find someone to tell us what they were in English (because the words for gizzard and liver were not in our dictionaries) I also found out that there is a delicacy that is essentially the intestinal part of a chicken and they keep the blood and everything when they cook it. I am not excited to try that...

My favorite place to eat is with Hna. Acosta. Her food is sooooo good (Her lasagna is to die for) and she tries to not cook us rice and beans because she understands how much we eat it.

My other favorite place to eat is Taco Maker (wednesday night is 1/2 off night)

Usually we do not take our dinner hour but we do on Wednesdays, haha. (or if someone feeds us dinner we count that as dinner hour)
Our favorite snack in between visits are limbers! People make them in their home and sell them out their front door. They are like popsicles in a little plastic cup with all sorts of different flavors. I will take a picture and send it to you. Lots of people offer us food when we visit though so we get a lot of snacks during the day usually.
 

My favorite thing about Puerto Rico?? It is so beautiful here!!!


What would I like for Christmas? mmm, I don't know! I definitely left my warm up rice bag at home that Grandma made for me because I thought I wouldn't need it... and now I wish I did!

I cannot think of anything else because I think what I will miss most is the Christmas tree with the family, snow, watching Christmas movies and Nutcracker music and Molly Mouse! I also miss Fall smells.

 
Today for P-day we had a nature hike and went into a cave and saw the beach and some old ruins. We went to Playa Baye. Do not worry, I did not get in :) but it was lots of fun! I will send pictures.
 
 
Jonny asked if I have dreamed in Spanish. I don't think so. But for a few weeks in the MTC I would dream of myself saying something in English like "God is our loving Heavenly Father." And then I would actually wake up halfway and translate it into Spanish, "Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial" I didn't sleep for the longest time because of that, translating in my sleep haha.

Way to go Hannah for making Jemima (I knew you would) and Jonny on passing his huge test!! Wahoo!!

I love you lots!


Hermana Hardy

Monday, November 10, 2014

Preparing For Baptism

Hello Family!
 

What a week! I can't remember what happened. I was a bit sick this last week, I don't know what it was- a weird sort of pure exhaustion and headache. Super strange and apparently one of the Elders was feeling that way the week before. Who knows! But I pushed through and I have my regular energy back so we are good! I am grateful that we get to go to bed at 10:30.

I haven't seen the music yet but I will keep my eyes out! What day did you send it? Tomorrow is some holiday for the schools so I don't know if the post office will be open or not. Maybe I'll get it today though! Our Ward Mission Leader keeps on talking about having me play some solo soon and it sounded like he wanted me to be playing Christmas arrangements the entire ward Christmas party. Heh.

I think my favorite lesson this week was with our investigator Sylvia. We found her contacting, visited her the week after for Lesson 1, and then this week we were able to teach her lesson 2. The thing is that she lives in Boqueron (the one that's 2 hours away walking) and she couldn't meet on our Boqueron day! So she totally came to the pueblo to pick us up and took us to her home to have a lesson. (we think she would have driven us home and fed us too but we had another lesson and ride with a less active that fell through... so we ended up walking the cien back home until we were able to find a member to pick us up haha)

Well we taught her Lesson 2 and she is SOO prepared and she even said yes when I invited her to be baptized! I was shaking and I had no idea what to do. She did say that she will be baptized when she is ready and she feels like the date I offered her is too soon, but she seemed so certain anyways when she said yes. I really kinda struggled with my Spanish and fluidity in that lesson though. Hna Gawrych just let me work it out myself and fortunately the message got through and she understood it and desires eternal life now.

Also, we had a lesson last night with a part active family and Hna. Gawrych thinks that the woman shed a tear when I told her that Heavenly Father loves her. That makes me happy, that she could feel the Spirit when told about that love He has for her.

I also learned this week that only 1% of the people in Puerto Rico are prepared to receive the Gospel and it is my responsibility that everyone has the opportunity to accept or reject our message because Heavenly Father knows that there are people who will never accept it but they need to have the opportunity to. That makes my heart sad. But it also makes me more motivated to speak to everyone and find that 1%.

Remember the one Birthday party investigator and his 5 year-old daughter? Unfortunately he texted the elders that he couldn't meet with him anymore because his family keeps on telling him that we are only trying to recruit people and he believes them. Ironically, he started studying with us saying that he will never be baptized he just wanted to learn everything. I personally think that he received an answer of the truth and his family noticed the change in him and he has chosen to not follow it. The elders invited him to read Elder Bednar's talk from this last conference.

We have District Meeting every week at the Rebecca (a park). Then we go home and eat food that Hna. Sepulveda makes us! yum yum:) We meet together, share experiences, read from PMG, share ideas and all of that. One week we got to listen to "Words to Live By" by Hyrum Smith. (well, we need to finish it later). Could you guys print it out and send it to me? I love it! He is also a great speaker and is wonderful to listen to. It's an AWESOME talk.

Our P-day adventures are pretty simple. Last week we went to a new panaderia for lunch and they had SOO many desserts and tasty things and wonderful sandwiches. yum. I will admit that I have gained 5 pounds because being sick I couldn't move in the mornings to exercise. This week will be much better though. I have already lost 3 of those pounds.

It rains about every Monday, it's pretty reliable. It RAINED SO MUCH LAST WEEK! I was actually COLD during the night and in the early morning. Apparently it's really weird for it to rain in the middle of the night. Now it is back to normal hotness at night.

I am so proud of you for rocking the Triathalon! RIGHT ON! You both look so healthy and fit and skinny! Wahoo! But Grandma says that you guys are doing the marathon over Thanksgiving in St. George. I am excited for you! but I am also sad because I know that Thanksgiving won't be the same in the Hardy home this year. We already have a dinner appointment for Turkey day (with the one woman that loves me!). It's funny because she invited us weeks ago and keeps on reminding us and saying "don't make any other dinner appointments!!!" She threatened the elders about that too, haha.

I don't really know if I am doing better in the language, I can't tell because I suppose that change comes really gradually. My district leader says that I am doing so much better than the usual new missionary so I hope that's true! I know that I am a lot better at smiling and being happy and positive than I was before starting my mission. That makes me happy and I want to be like this after too!

Good luck with tryouts tomorrow Hannah! You will do amazing as always! Pinky luck kiss kiss

I LOVE YOU!!!
 
XOXOXO Hermana Hardy

Monday, November 3, 2014

Turn That Frown Upside Down :)

Hello Family!
 
 
We had one investigator come to church! She is slowly progressing.

Something really funny I haven't told you guys yet is about a sister in our ward. When I first got here she was not interested in helping us and all of that. Slowly we convinced her to drive us to her less active daughter's family.
 
HOWEVER, she was supposed to pick us up in the plaza and we were walking there when some other kind of investigator started talking to us and would not stop talking. (this was in Sept. or something) so this member was waiting forever for us and when she found us we got in the car and she was so mad and chewing us out. I didn't really understand what she was saying but I could tell she was unhappy and I didn't know what to do. I was in the back seat and she looked in the rearview mirror at me and my very first reaction was to smile really big and sweetly at her.
 

She gave me a funny look then said to my companion, "She doesn't understand what I'm saying does she?" and Hna. Gawrych said, "No she doesn't really understand spanish yet." That made the member laugh. Then we had a super spiritual lesson with her daughter and family.

Since then she has warmed up a LOT to us and is more willing to help us. It has been neat seeing her change and she absolutely loves me. Whenever she says something to me and I don't know what's going on I just smile. Then she laughs REALLY hard and grabs my shoulder and shakes me around and says "'OH, HARDY!!! HAHAHAHAHA.''

This happens a lot. She is also in Primary and was super happy to have me play the piano. At one point in our saludos she took my face in her hands and squished and wiggled my cheeks together and said something in Spanish and hugged me.
 

This past week we were visiting with her and before we went to go see her daughter she would see people in their houses or on the street and would stop the car and have us contact them, haha. She also likes to bring us taco maker and juice and treats when she visits with us and it is just so neat to see how much she has changed over the past few months where before she didn't want anything to do with us and now she treats us like her children.
 
She just thinks I am super funny with my smiles and not knowing what's going on. I think she thinks I am a bit of a ditz... but she loves me anyways. I told her the story in Spanish of how when I was little I thought Jonny ate the moon. She thought it was really funny and just says, ÖH HARDY! My favorite part is how she just laughs and laughs at me. I don't really know why, but as long as she is happy and willing to help us out I am happy!
 
 
Apparently I have a really expressive face now... Which is good and bad. One bad funny story is how one woman (who only speaks English) was going on about bills and whatnot and I was TRYING to make a concerned face and she thought I was judging her and called me out on it and I had to explain that I was just worried for her and not judging at all. Hna. Gawrych and all the sisters think that it's really funny haha.

I am going to practice my "concerned" face in the mirror this week.
 
Relief Society is in Spanish. They all talk at once. I am naughty and zone out sometimes but I will try to be better. The past four weeks I have been in Primary anyways to play piano and practice for their program, but now that's all over and we are back in Relief Society. Here Relief society is first and then sunday school then Sacrament. I will tell you more once I start understanding more. We did have our service project on Saturday, the men and young adults served in a school, cleaning out all this old stuff and whatnot abandoned whatnot. Women served in el hogar de ancianos, and we sang and shared scriptures. Older people are even harder to understand in Spanish and they didn't understand me either so that was fun. There was one old man who LOVED the Spanish Christmas songs they sang. He was tapping his feet and waving his hands and he was so excited.
 
 
They do not really have carpet here at all. Some people have rugs, but I haven't seen that very often. Pretty much every place in the pueblo has the exact same laminate flooring, haha. As far as funny manerisms I cannot think of any right now. I think it's because I've gotten used to them. They really do talk a whole awful lot here. It's hard sometimes to teach and get stuff done. They are very dramatic here. they exxagerate a lot haha. If someone waits for you for 5 minutes, they say they've been there for half an hour or more.
 
That makes me laugh that Hermana Boucher thought I was talking about Dad. I sent them a text saying that the package was from my AUNT, I didn't say anything about dad or uncles haha, we have a zone conference this week so I will clarify then:)

I did receive the medicine! Thank you so much! I also found gummy vitamins in Walgreens. I didn't buy them because they seemed expensive but I might today because it is probably the same price that you guys would have to pay to send it down here!

 
Penelope looks like Perry! Is she a black cayuga too? she even has white feathers! Is she cuddly?

The Rhapsody of Hymns is my favorite and I would LOVE those other ones you mentioned. The yellow christmas book should be in the bench, it is a skinny one, really simple songs. I used it for What Child is This and Silent Night (they are the last two songs.) The very first song is Have yourself a very merry christmas or whatever it's called.
 
 
I loved the Puerto Rican pumpkin!! Beautiful work! Good luck with your test this week Jonny and with the job you want! You will ROCK it! There should be a bulletin with all the music performances going on at the U and in the community. Right now is a great time to find a Jazz performance because I bet everyone is doing their senior recitals around this time. It shouldn't be too hard to find one to go
to.
 
 
I am carving a ring out of a coconut shell! I had my first real coconut this week and the elders opened it with a machete for me.

This week someone gave us 100% juice! MIRACLE!

I love you all! Take care and remember to SMILE!
 
 
xoxo Hermana Hardy

Monday, October 27, 2014

The Waving Campaign

Hello Family!!!
 
 
Transfers were last Tuesday. They tell us the Sunday night before. Next transfers are December 2 and I will probably stay here because Cabo Rojo is the furthest you can get from San Juan and people usually stay here for a long time. (random thought, if you haven't sent my one book of arrangements yet, can you also send the yellow christmas arrangement book as well?)

I played the piano for the Primary Program yesterday! It went very well. I learned a lot of new songs the past few weeks and it was great. Now the Primary President is a lot more willing to go out on visits with us :)

As far as toys or games I haven't seen anything different here than in Utah. Sports, video games, smart phones, etc. I played hopscotch with a little girl last week when her mom's car broke down (we were all on our way to a lesson) so we didn't have a lesson that night but we did draw with chalk in the plaza! I will try to send a picture. There is a hand sing song game that some girls taught us and is funny. It took me a while to pick up the words but they are pretty much nonsense anyways.

I think the best thing I have had was lasagna that a member made for us!! haha, it really was the best lasagna I have ever had. But lasagna is also a rarity here. Umm, I think I really love fried plantains. Any fried fruit like that is called a tostone, so yesterday I had tostone de pana, which is a pretty starchy fruit like everything else. I liked it just fine, but the elders had gone on about how good it is so when I actually tried it it wasn't as good as they had led me to believe haha. I LO VE aguacate though too. AND last night they gave us APPLEJUICE!!! wahoo! I was so excited, no one drinks apple juice here!

I do receive all of Grandma's letters! They make me so happy:) It only takes 3 days for letters to get to me! Pretty awesome!

An interesting event and a spiritual message! Yesterday NOTHING worked out. We ran all over town for all these lessons that were supposed to be member presents but all the member's cars broke down this week (seriously, a whole bunch of them) so we were going to have normal lessons but no one was home. The only thing that worked out was a half active family (husband active, wife not).
 
That lesson was pretty amazing and simple. If we had had all those other lessons we may not have been able to have that lesson. We think that everything fell through just so we could visit that family and give them the lesson they needed to get comfortable with us so we can help them get back to church and progress to the temple (people LOVE the picture of our family and of mom and dad on their wedding day outside the temple). They were the ones that had apple juice too! And doughnuts from Krispy Kremes! They have doughnuts here but they aren't the same as Krispy Kremes (which is in Mayaguez). So my message is that sometimes things fall apart because Heavenly Father really does have another, much bigger, purpose for us.

This weekend President and Hermana Boucher dropped off something for me! Haha, apparently Hermana Boucher ordered something from the LDS art store and aunt Joann saw the order and called Hermana to ask to send something to me with the package of art! So I received goldfish and the most beautiful bookmarks to give out! Tell Joann and Grant I say hello and thank you so much!
 
 
I am so grateful for all of you and your prayers for me! There are lots of ups and downs but I am loving it here! Waking up in the morning is pretty easy (most of the time) because it is so light outside early in the morning.

Did I already tell you guys about The Waving Campaign? Well, I realized a month ago that I tend to look at the ground while I walk around so I made it a goal to start waving at all of the cars that drive by us so that I don't look down. So we started to smile and wave at every car. Then we started counting how many people wave back at us and I reported the numbers to President just for fun and he loved it. He calls it the Waving Campaign and always asks about it now and thinks it's great. My original goal was just to meet someone one day that recognized us as the girls who waved at them. Well now about the whole town knows us and people start to honk and wave at us before we even start waving at them! People also honk and wave at the other sisters because they think they are us, hehehehe. So that's pretty cool. We have been bad at counting lately but I think our record one day was over 60- pretty awesome.

I hope you all have an awesome Halloween- send me pictures of the pumpkins!!

I can't believe Hannah has a triple turn on the left side- get out!! haha, that is awesome! Hannah, you should write me a letter and let me know what all your rehearsal schedules are like and what dance at school is like, and about your friends and EVERYTHING! write as much as you like please!

I have coconuts and the elders are going to tell me how to carve a ring out of a coconut! I am excited!

I don't know what else to say! There is so much and I am just so happy here and I still feel like it's July haha.

I want to give everyone a BIG hug and tell them that I love them. I am so grateful for everything that you have taught me.

I love you all!!
 
 
Hermana Hardy

Monday, October 20, 2014

Halloween

Familia!


Today for P-day we woke up, exercised (I just stretched and used a tennis ball on my muscles), cleaned, we're doing laundry, trying to find a ride to go grocery shopping and we are planning on making cookies for tonight to take to a lesson and help a girl pass them out to neighbors for a service thing. It's a pretty laid back day this week. Last week we did souvenir shopping so I might be sending a package to you guys for Christmas:)




They do Dia de los Muertes here but that's in Spring time. For Halloween I don't think it's as big as in the States but people use it for sketchy business like drinking and celebrating dark stuff. We have to go home early for Halloween. There is a cool house we passed by that keeps on adding decorations for halloween! Haha, it's hilarious. The first time we saw it there was just their big Christus on a fountain/waterfall thing, then the next time the pool at the bottom was red and there was a zombie laying in it. Every week we pass by the zombie moves further out of the pool and now their entire house is decorated and there is a haunted house in their yard. It's pretty sick.





I think the best use of a scripture this week was James 2:17-18 about how faith without works is dead with a woman who is less active. She totally understood it and accepted it and even continued on with her testimony about it. It was awesome because some people just don't get it when we teach them, or they just don't try. She did and she was very sweet about it. She didn't come to church but we will keep on visiting her.


To find new investigators we contact on the street, we ask for referrals (hard to get those), and we try to ask members (who are shy about it) and we try to talk to everyone we can.


Gospel Principle this week. Well, the importance of having the Spirit in conversion and in lessons to help teach. Our one inv. (we have to give him to the Elders but we will still see him sundays) even understands that now! Yesterday we had a short lesson with a 14 year old girl who was very sweet and we gave her a short overview about the Restoration pamphlet which we gave her to read. I could feel the spirit there as I told her that Heavenly Father loves her and she can pray about anything she needs help with and how there was a 14 year old boy that had lots of questions and God answered his prayers. That was pretty awesome. She even prayed at the end! Wahoo!!! I can't wait to see her next time.


Transfers are this Tuesday and we found out last night that our ENTIRE zone is staying the same, just an Elder in our district is getting a new companion to train (our elders have been in a trio this transfer). Next transfers are December 2, and they'll probably take Hna. Gawrych away from me then because she's been here a long time and my training will be finished. These past 6 weeks went by A LOT faster than they did in the MTC, which is insane because those 6 weeks went by pretty fast too. Í'm coming up on 3 months which is weird.


I am jealous of your hike! that looks BEAUTIFUL! Lexie go ahead and wear my dress! way to get all A's Hannah, remember that even though you are busy reading a chapter in the Book of Mormon EVERYDAY will help you so much. Make sure you make time to read it and make it a priority. Some chapters are long so you can split them in two. I am 1/3 through the BoM in Spanish! I love reading it, I notice different things in spanish, pretty cool. Make a goal and a calendar and it will be easier for you. I hope Jonny gets furniture soon :)


I am out of gummy vitamins and that's all I can think of! oh, and epiduo is almost gone. I am going to miss the ward party, we are just having a big service party the day after Halloween!




This email is short because I am sending pictures!!


Hermana Hardy